You wouldn't look at Joaquin Phoenix's mustachioed face and think "science fiction." You wouldn't look at a movie about a divorced introvert finding love and set it down in the video store next to "Star Wars" or "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". For all intents and purposes, "Her" can function as a romance drama. However, it presents science fiction in a different light, in a manner applicable to our daily routines. This isn't about invasions or lasers, but rather a look at where the interaction between man and technology can be headed. This is sci-fi for people who hate it, and it does it right.
Joaquin Phoenix plays Theodore Twombly, a writer living in the near future, whom after separating from his wife Catherine (Rooney Mara), feels like he's experienced everything available in the world. Now living aimlessly, he tries to spark any emotion, living vicariously through the "handwritten" birthday cards, thank-you notes, or love letters he writes for others to earn a living. When the first artificial intelligence debuts, capable of fulfilling any need, Theodore tries it out. Enter the operating system Samantha (Scarlett Johansson). A personal assistant and companion for Theodore, her abundant curiosity and incessant desire to experience the world draws him in, and as they spend more and more time together, their relationship blossoms into love.
When I mention the movie to any friends, they usually respond with, "Oh yeah, the movie where the guy falls in love with Siri?" Technically accurate, but they miss a whole other layer. "Her" presents the development of AI, and instead of just asking "what if", the movie treats its world with realism, exploring the effects artificial intelligence could have, not only for humans, but the intelligence itself. There were a couple times when I expected the movie to end, but it pressed forth. I assumed these "false endings" would fit the story, but instead of giving us a typical romance ending, the movie stayed in its world, looking at its different facets. While this makes the film feel choppy near the end, the developments carried their own weight; it never bothered me.
Kudos to Scarlett Johansson, who brings life to Samantha. The difficulties placed in not only being restricted to her voice, but also to a character who understands the world beyond human comprehension, are extensive; she pulls it off with aplomb. Samantha's childlike energy is infectious; it makes me smile. She finds the human body "weird"; when talking about her day to Theodore, she analyzes her emotions, believing each one to be a blessing, from jealousy to pride to bliss. As the story progresses, Samantha's interests and analyses grow. Instead of trying to understand our world, she takes advantage of her computing possibilities to stretch towards infinity, discovering a part of the universe the characters and we, the audience, can't comprehend. This character is the medium which the focus of the film is seen through, and she's simply fascinating.
I like the production value here; the world definitely looks futuristic with its pristine symmetry and clean color schemes, but it's close enough to our urban settings that it doesn't feel too far gone. I feel this could be a city like Seattle 20 years from now. I have to give credit to these little developments in technology. From video games that project into a living room to AI-controlled appliances, the movie takes chances to predict and show us a vision for the future in the realm of possibility. For smartphones, instead of a focus on video where people constantly keep their heads down, "Her" predicts a world of audio. People are always connected, but only by one wireless earbud (it kind of looks like a hearing aid made by Bose). Individuals interact more with each other in the real world while still keeping their virtual world well-maintained. The movie looks at these worlds as places able to coexist, differing from the cautionary tone and message we've been accustomed to.
If I must note its faults, the screenplay can be a little heavy-handed, tempted to talk about the themes of the movie instead of moving the story along. It doesn't bother me too much, but I am pulled out of the story a little bit. Nevertheless, the screenplay feels natural, moving the story at a pace and manner that fits its atmosphere while conveying its ideas and questions to us. The writing makes me laugh just as hard as it tugs my heartstrings.
"Her" is one of those movies that I don't think will be groundbreaking, but as a way to explore the future through the vessel of this romance between two individuals, it's stellar. I love living in this world and love seeing a future that doesn't see human-computer interactions in the fearful light of "2001: A Space Odyssey" or "The Terminator." It's nice to get the other side of the story and with humor, love, and an earnest effort to explore, "Her" is a wonderful experience. Thank you all for reading, I'm the Man Without A Plan, signing off.
(P.S. Karen O's "The Moon Song" is my new favorite song. Just saying.)
"Her" trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne6p6MfLBxc
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